Around fifty tourists waited over half an hour this Friday at the taxi rank in Marina Rubicón, Playa Blanca. The sector demands more licenses and the insularisation of the service.
The scene is becoming increasingly common in Lanzarote. What was previously a typical sight only at César Manrique Airport has now spread to other tourist spots on the island. This Friday, around 1:00 PM, nearly fifty tourists were queuing under the sun at the taxi rank in Marina Rubicón, Playa Blanca, waiting more than half an hour to get a vehicle.
The situation was reported by a user who sent images to Lancelot Digital. The lack of available taxis during peak hours is becoming a recurring problem in the southern part of the island, especially during the summer season when tourist demand skyrockets.
Tourism sector representatives claim that these queues are not an isolated incident. Similar situations are occurring in various locations in Playa Blanca and in other tourist municipalities of Lanzarote, such as Costa Teguise or Puerto del Carmen. Taxi business owners and professionals believe that this image harms the perception of the island as a quality destination.
To address this situation, the sector is calling on the Yaiza Town Hall to increase the number of taxi licenses. Additionally, they are asking the Cabildo of Lanzarote to advance the implementation of service insularisation, a measure that would allow vehicles from other municipalities to operate in areas where demand greatly exceeds supply during peak days.
Taxi insularisation is a long-standing demand on the island. Currently, taxis can only pick up passengers in the municipality where they hold their license, leading to imbalances: while some towns have idle vehicles, others lack them. Allowing taxis to operate across the island, at least during high season, is one of the solutions proposed for years.
The problem affects not only the tourist municipalities in the south but also Arrecife, the capital, during certain dates and events with large crowds. Business owners warn that the lack of available taxis during peak hours can discourage the use of public transport and encourage private vehicle use, leading to increased congestion and emissions.
While the Cabildo and town halls study possible solutions, tourists and residents continue to suffer from the waits. In Playa Blanca, the Marina Rubicón taxi rank is one of the busiest, as it serves one of the main shopping and leisure centres in the southern part of the island. The scene this Friday is just an example of a problem that worsens every summer.
The taxi sector in Lanzarote consists of around 400 vehicles, a figure that has remained stable in recent years despite the growth of tourism. The Lanzarote Taxi Association has repeatedly requested an increase in the number of licenses, but town halls are hesitant due to the potential impact on the market and urban mobility.
Meanwhile, tourists arriving on the island encounter a negative first impression. The queues at the airport are already well-known, but now they are extending to other locations. According to professionals, the solution lies in a combination of more licenses and greater flexibility for taxis to move between municipalities when necessary.
The Cabildo of Lanzarote has already begun the process to study the insularisation of the service, but the process is slow and requires consensus among the seven town halls on the island. In the meantime, summer progresses and the queues continue to grow.
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